A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 8996881 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 40 slot_no: 97122695 epoch_slot_no: 181895 block_no: 8996704 slot_leader_id: 4580757 size: 88772 time: 2023-07-07 00:16:26 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcc7756b5a04c596bd84fe86ca23c09545a32cee045f571b1fa75ab39bb6af2aeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1st3ysz45pektlvnsxj3s8454x5m8l2jqxjslkcqjk0zuu66l3qfql2m7rv op_cert: \x2c282b1af146705dbd35b7b8e100e2adda560e56a3412787ca7df214e444c80b op_cert_counter: 13